OVERVIEW Racial and ethnic health disparities in stroke and cancer impose an enormous burden on the U.S. health care system. Reduction of health disparities has become a significant public health challenge and is a major goal of the Healthy People 2018 initiative. In addition, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) has designated as a high priority research aimed at eliminating or reducing the burden of stroke and cancer in medically underserved communities. The overall goal of the CEHD research core is to provide the infrastructure, resources and multidisciplinary investigative expertise necessary to successfully implement research projects designed to reduce disparities in chronic diseases within the District of Columbia. The research core is coordinated through Georgetown University in partnership with Howard University and Medstar Health Research Institute. The CEHD research core committed to the three themes: 1) the importance of cultural competence in disparities research, 2) research targeting health disparities in chronic disease, 3) utilizing established partnerships in the Washington, DC region.